Southeast Enters into Agreement with Missouri Southern for Joint Master’s Program in Criminal Justice

Southeast Missouri State University President Kenneth W. Dobbins (seated, right) signs an agreement for a cooperative master’s degree program in criminal justice with Missouri Southern State University President Julio Leon during a ceremony Friday, Feb. 17 on the MSSU campus.

JOPLIN Mo., Mo., Feb. 20, 2006 ᾰSoutheast Missouri State University and Missouri Southern State University entered into an agreement last week to offer a joint master of science degree program in criminal justice.

Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast, and Dr. Julio Leon, president of Missouri Southern, signed the agreement Friday in Joplin, Mo.

Classes are expected to begin next fall and will be taught by both Southeast and Missouri Southern faculty members. The courses will be delivered primarily online and via Instructional Television (ITV) or other distance deliver technology, with some face-to-face classes. With both schools each teaching one course each semester, students will be able to complete the degree in two years.

“The program is designed for working professionals who want the degree to enhance their career opportunities,” said Dr. John Wade, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Southeast.

Degrees for the program will be conferred by Southeast, but diplomas will include the names of both institutions, he said.

Governance of the curriculum for the joint degree program will be the responsibility of Southeast, in conjunction with Missouri Southern. Student admission, progression, retention and graduation will follow the existing policies and procedures of Southeast’s current criminal justice program, including the course numbering system.

Recruitment of students for the program will be done by Missouri Southern, primarily in the Southwest Missouri area, Wade said. Each University will maintain its own registration system for students entering into the program, but Southeast will be responsible for determining a schedule of courses projected for two years prior to courses being offered.

Credit hours generated by students will accrue to the institution teaching the course.

“The department is excited about the partnership,” Wade said. “This agreement shows how both schools appreciate the legislature’s intent in Section 173.005 of RSMo. Dr. Stephens (provost at Southeast Missouri State University) and Dr. McCollum saw an opportunity for both institutions, and the agreement was forged harmoniously. The cooperation from Missouri Southern’s staff was exemplary.”

Southeast Missouri State University President Kenneth W. Dobbins (seated, right) signs an agreement for a cooperative master’s degree program in criminal justice with Missouri Southern State University President Julio Leon during a ceremony Friday, Feb. 17 on the MSSU campus. Missouri State Sen. Gary Nodler (left, back row) guided key legislation through the Missouri House and Senate that allowed MSSU to enter into cooperative agreements for master’s programs. MSSU Board of Governors members Dwight Douglas, Joplin; Elizabeth Deffenbaugh (Board President), Carthage; David Ansley, Springfield; Rod Anderson, Monett; and Douglas Brooks, Joplin, look on. Board members Jane Wyman, Alba, and Charles McGinty, Joplin, were not available for the photograph. (View a larger image of the signing.)